Remco Evenepoel has described the UCI’s decision to ban the Specialized ‘Head Sock’ time trial helmet as “laughable” and warned that moving the goalposts on equipment rules would turn riders against the governing body.
On Tuesday afternoon, the UCI issued a statement announcing a ban on the head sock used in Specialized TT5 helmet, which was first worn at the 2022 Tour de France and which Evenepoel wore en route to the world time trial title last year. Evenepoel and his Soudal-QuickStep teammates also used the head sock helmets in Tuesday’s team time trial at Paris-Nice. Their use will be forbidden in UCI events from April 2 onwards.
In the same communiqué, the UCI also announced that it would carry out an “in-depth analysis” of its rules on helmets in response to the striking Giro Aerohead II time trial helmet used by Visma-Lease A Bike at Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice this week.
"It's laughable," Evenepoel told Sporza ahead of stage 4 of Paris-Nice. "There are rules around brake levers, but I still see riders riding around with their brake levers tilting inwards.
"Two years ago, they authorised our helmet, and now they’re taking it out. I kind of feel like they want to play with our balls. It's not very friendly what they're doing. There are other teams that are almost riding with a time trial helmet in the peloton. I’m thinking of EF Education-EasyPost. They’re dragging cycling into the ridiculous and they’re making all the riders turn against the UCI.”
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Specialized had outlined its dismay at the UCI ruling, saying: “Specialized is disappointed in this decision as it greatly impacts our riders and teams that have spent a significant amount of time preparing with the equipment that was UCI approved.”
Speaking to reporters before stage 4 of Paris-Nice, Evenepoel also revisited his comments regarding his former teammate Tim Declercq in the aftermath of the previous afternoon’s team time trial.
Evenepoel had expressed irritation that Declercq, now of Lidl-Trek, had impeded Soudal-QuickStep when he was caught and passed during the stage, though he apologised to his former companion in a post on Strava later on Tuesday. Speaking to ITV ahead of stage 4, Evenepoel placed his comments in context.
“You never should take away the character of a person. It’s how I am and I often say what I feel in my stomach or my heart,” he said. “It’s the way I react after a race often, but I also know it’s not 100% what I mean. I don’t regret what I said, it’s just the way I said it.
And Tim also knows he was riding in the way and he apologised for that as well. We shared some messages, we spoke together and we will speak in the bunch. Everything will be forgotten.”
